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One baby crawls the classic way, on all fours. Another drags along on their tummy like a little commando. A third scoots about on their bottom, and a fourth decides to skip the whole stage and go straight to standing. If your baby is one of the “non-standard” ones – they’re in very good company.
Every baby invents their own way of reaching the toy on the other side of the room. And that’s their first piece of ingenuity.
The short answer: In research, babies started crawling anywhere between 5 and 13.5 months, and around 4% never crawled on hands and knees. Skipping crawling on its own usually isn’t a reason to worry.
When do babies start crawling?
The range is very wide. In research by biomechanist Mark Geil of Kennesaw State University, babies started crawling anywhere between 5 and 13.5 months. That’s almost a whole year’s difference – and everything within it is perfectly normal.
Why is crawling no longer on the milestone lists?
In 2022 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their developmental milestone checklists, and crawling was dropped. Not because it doesn’t matter, but because there isn’t enough reliable data on it by age – the way there is for walking, for example. And babies get moving in so many different ways that a single “deadline” would confuse more than it would help.
How many babies skip crawling?
In the same research, around 4% of babies never crawled on hands and knees at all, and other studies estimate between 4 and 15%. Many of them aren’t “staying put” – they just get around in their own way:
- Commando crawling – on the tummy, pulling along with the elbows.
- Bottom shuffling – sitting up, pushing with hands and feet.
- Rolling – reaching the goal with a series of rolls.
- Bear crawling – on hands and feet, with straight knees.
- Straight to standing – cruising along the furniture.
In a review in Psychology Today, experts note that children who skip crawling often walk earlier, and that no link has been found between how a child gets around before walking and their later language or cognitive development. There’s still relatively little research on the topic, so science is still looking for answers.
If you’d like to encourage movement, put a favourite toy just out of reach while your baby is on their tummy. Close enough to be tempting, far enough to be a mission. When they get there – a round of applause. 👏
How to make room for movement
- Tummy time from an early age strengthens the neck, shoulders and back.
- Lots of floor time – on a clean, firm surface.
- Less time in seats, swings and pushchairs while your baby is awake. The WHO advises that young children shouldn’t be restrained in them for more than an hour at a time.
- A safe space – stair gates, socket covers, nothing small on the floor. The best way to check is to go round the room on all fours yourself.
Build a mini “obstacle course” out of cushions on the floor for your baby to clamber over while you watch. Climbing and tumbling over things is great practice – whether they crawl the classic way or use their own patented method.
For the dads
Get down on the floor and become a “tunnel” for your baby to crawl through, or a “mountain” to climb. A chase on all fours with a dramatic “I’m gonna get you!” rarely ends without laughter – and comes with a bonus workout for you.
When to talk to your paediatrician
Skipping crawling on its own usually isn’t a reason to worry. Mention it to your paediatrician if by around 9 months your baby can’t sit without support, isn’t making any attempt to move around, only uses one side of their body, or loses a skill they already had. These are signs that simply call for a careful look from a professional.
In short
There’s no one right route from lying down to first steps. There’s your baby, mapping out their own path – on their tummy, on their bottom or straight up. Give them floor space, time and encouragement, and they’ll take care of the rest. You’re their biggest fan. 💛
Sources: The Conversation (Mark Geil) – Babies almost all try crawling, but CDC says it’s not a useful developmental milestone; Psychology Today – Does It Matter If Your Child Skips Crawling?; American Family Physician – CDC’s Revised Developmental Milestone Checklists; WHO – To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more.
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